Affiliate Marketing is like a Parable : Don’t Cull Non Performing Affiliates
posted in Affiliate Marketing, Moose's Proverbs |
Once again let me begin with another quoted Parable: In this example assume the farmer is the merchant/agency & the donkey is the affiliate.
“One day a farmer’s donkey (the affiliate) fell down into a well. The animal lay quietly for hours until the farmer (the merchant) eventually noticed him, as the farmer (the merchant) couldn’t be bothered to figure out what to do. He finally decided the animal (the affiliate) was old & useless, and that the well needed to be covered anyway and that it just wasn’t worth retrieving the donkey (the affiliate). So he invited all his neighbours (other merchants & maybe the network) to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey (the affiliate) realised what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quietened down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer (the merchant) finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey (the affiliate) was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbours (other merchants & maybe the network) continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal (the affiliate), he (the affiliate) would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey (the affiliate) stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.”
There are various interpretations which could be derived from this little parable, feel welcome to offer yours.
But a couple which come to mind immediately are when ass- minded merchants / agencies & occasionally networks cull non-performing affiliates. Perhaps the affiliate hasn’t got round to that merchant yet or may have existing or other prioritised work in progress, especially when there are a couple of thousand other programs out there.
Rather than making efforts to communicate effectively with non-performing affiliates, culling their base (an easy & futile option) somehow makes their stats look better for example those affiliates which actually drive sales but may have a lower epc. It doesn’t cost the merchant anything and eventually that page or link might get indexed.
I don’t think culling happens too often in affiliate marketing and there are bigger issues, however it’s one of those minor irritants which needlessly occurs.
The most importantly thing I inferred from this Parable is never under-estimate the resolve of an affiliate.
